Tag: Conveying System

EXAIR will be giving away a free 2” Super Air Nozzle with the purchase of any EXAIR Line Vac from September 1st through October 31st, 2017. This special promotion will apply to all versions of Line Vac orders, whether aluminum, stainless steel, heavy duty, threaded/non-threaded, or 316SS sanitary flanged. Order within the promotional period and receive the free model 1122, a value of $65.00! The 2″ Flat Super Air Nozzle is more durable than plastic flat nozzles, operates at lower noise levels and produces a powerful blast of compressed air in a laminar sheet.

EXAIR’s Line Vac family

Line Vacs provide a fast, easy way to pneumatically transfer dry materials from one location to another. They eliminate the need to have personnel manually transferring materials via bag, super sac, or bucket-and-ladder setups. Doing so reduces worker fatigue and allows conveyance to occur simultaneously with other process operations.

Line Vac removing trimmed scrap from label making application

What kind of an impact can this have? Here’s a link to a recent blog post where an EXAIR Line Vac saved the end user from having to shut down their conveyor to allow cleaning of spilled material underneath. And here’s a link to an application using Line Vacs to empty and refill a large tank full of desiccant. And here’s a link to an application where we customized a Line Vac for conveyance of dog bedding material. You get the idea…

Depending on application parameters such as bulk density of the material (lbs/ft³ or kg/m³), conveyance height/distance, and required conveyance rate, we can size a Line Vac properly through the support of our Application Engineers who have years of experience working with these products and their implementation into industrial solutions.

The EXAIR Line Vac Promotion – now through October 31st

We’re here to help you find a pneumatic conveyance solution for your application, and earn a free nozzle in the process. Contact our Application Engineers for assistance today.

The ideal solution for conveying large volumes of material over long distances.

EXAIR’s Line Vac compressed air operated conveyors have no moving parts or motors to wear out, providing a maintenance free way to move dry material from one location to another. We offer several different types and sizes of Line Vacs like our Standard Line Vacs, available from 3/8″ up to 5″ or our Threaded Line Vacs, with NPT threaded connections up to 3″. The Heavy Duty Line Vac are constructed of Hardened Alloy for superior abrasion resistance, available in sizes from 3/4” to 3”, smooth and threaded connections or the Light Duty Line Vac commonly used for smaller volume, shorter distance processes, with sizes from 3/4″ to 6”. We even offer Sanitary Flange Line Vacs from 1-1/2″ up to 3″ for processes requiring frequent cleaning. All of these products are in stock, ready to ship from our factory here in Cincinnati, Ohio.

For over 34 years, EXAIR has been manufacturing Intelligent Compressed Air Products and we understand that there may be “special” cases where a stock product isn’t going to fit a specific need or requirement. What sets us apart from our competition is that we are able, with a little help from the customer, to engineer and manufacture custom made products, like the Line Vac Conveyors, to fit the specific demand of a unique application.

A few examples are shown below:

Flanged design, easy to install

This special 3/4″ Stainless Steel flanged Line Vac is being used to remove acidic vapors after a silicon wafer etching process. The flanged design allowed the user to direct mount to the machine, eliminating the need for other expensive modifications.

Chemical resistant construction for washdown areas

A customer was needing a special Line Vac for a chloride wash area due to the aggressive chemicals. We were able to make a custom 1-1/2″ Line Vac in PVDF construction for corrosion resistance and QF flanges for easy maintenance and cleaning.

This special funnel shaped Line Vac is being used in a a small packet filling operation. The unique design assured for a clog free process by keeping the granulated material moving through the tube.

Miniature size for confined workspaces

A company was needing a miniature version of a Line Vac to remove microscopic debris in an integrated circuit chip making process. The barb fittings allowed for easy installation into the small work place.

These are just a few examples of how we are able to meet the demands of a wide variety of extraordinary processes. Whether you are looking to move “common” materials like plastic pellets or maybe something “off the wall”, chances are we have the resources to provide an engineered solution to fit your need. Our application engineers are standing by, so give us a call and let us put our expertise to work for you!

The Line Vac is a fast, low cost way to convey pellets, scrap trim, textiles, bulk solids, food products, chips, and much more. Simply connect to a standard hose, tube, or pipe and a powerful in-line conveyor is created.

Available in (4) materials – aluminum, 303 and 316 stainless steels, and a special hardened alloy, and (3) end connection types – NPT threaded, smooth bore, and the new sanitary flanged. Sizes range from 3/8″ up to a 6″. It is certain that an available Line Vac option will meet your process criteria.

For lighter materials and short conveyance distances, the Light Duty model is ideal, and for the most abrasive and heaviest materials over longer distances, the Heavy Duty style is available.

The Line Vacs offer many safety benefits, including eliminating the dangers of lifting heavy sacks and climbing ladders to fill hoppers, and with the 316 stainless steel sanitary flanged Line Vacs, food materials are kept enclosed and and separated and provides ease of cleaning.

Check out the video by clicking the photo below

The Line Vac works by having a small amount of compressed air injected through directed nozzles to produce a vacuum on one end and high output air flow on the other, with instantaneous response. By using a pressure regulator, available as part of a kit or separately, the flow of the material transfer can be easily controlled. No moving parts or electricity assures maintenance free operation!

Trim Scrap Removal

Conveyance rates are determined by the material bulk density, typical particle size, total distance of conveyance, including vertical rise, and the targeted transfer rate. An EXAIR Application Engineer can assist you, and with the above information, recommend the right size and type of Line Vac to meet the desired results.

All catalog models are in stock and we ship same day with an order received by 3 pm EDT in the US and 2 pm EDT for orders shipping to Canada.

Our team of engineers can design a special Line Vac to meet many applications special requirements, from special materials such as PVC and PVDF to special end connections such as pipe flanges and barbed hose connections. Let us know the special requirements of your process and we’ll design a solution.

This special 3/4″ Line Vac was designed to evacuate fumes from a silicone wafer etching operation

To go with the Line Vac, we can provide a reinforced, heavy wall, clear PVC conveyance hose in lengths up to 50′. Additionally, the Line Vac Drum Cover is a fine mesh, non-woven cover built to fit on the top of a 30 or 55 gallon drum. It is designed to contain the material to the drum and allow the air from the Line Vac to escape.

Drum Cover, for 30 and 55 Gallon Drums

If you have questions regarding the Line Vac, or would like to talk about any EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air® Product, feel free to contact EXAIR and myself or one of our Application Engineers can help you determine the best solution.

EXAIR’s line of Heavy Duty Line Vacs are our most powerful of our pneumatic conveyors. It is very similar to our standard Lind Vacs, but the generator holes have been drilled out to boost the performance. You can also modify a standard Line Vac to match the performance of a Heavy Duty. We have a great video here that shows you exactly how. In addition to an increased performance, the Heavy Duty Line Vac is constructed of a hardened alloy steel that helps to prevent premature wear that can occur when conveying abrasive media.

Heavy Duty Threaded Line Vac conveying steel shot

I recently worked with a customer that had a Clean Sweep vacuum that they had purchased and were experiencing premature wear on the conveyor that was installed on the system. They were using it to reclaim blasting media that they use for several of their processes in the facility. The conveyor that was installed in the Clean Sweep vacuum system was constructed of aluminum and was quickly wearing out. By the time they found EXAIR, they had already replaced this unit twice and were getting close to needing a third replacement. A quick search of the internet brought him to our blog page where he saw this blog post about the Heavy Duty Line Vac. A quick review of the drawing for the vacuum system and we were able to identify that a 2” Model 151200 Heavy Duty Threaded Line Vac would match up perfectly and allow for a quick and easy installation. They have a total of (3) of these systems in their warehouse and wanted to try one out first. Once the warehouse manager returned from vacation he intended to purchase another two to replace the other units before they too wore out. The operators were pretty pleased at the boosted performance that the Heavy Duty Line Vac offered, and management was pleased that they no longer have to worry about one of their vacuum systems wearing out. Another satisfied customer!

If you have a vacuum application with abrasive or harsh media, give EXAIR a call. Our team of Application Engineers is standing by ready to recommend the best solution for your application.

If you follow our blog, you know that over the past 2 years I have posted a few blogs related to coaching my oldest son’s youth football team. Well it’s that time of year again as we enter our 3rd season with the team. Each year, the athletic boosters put together a “Spirit Wear” package for the players, parents and coaches to purchase that typically includes a t-shirt, with some type of motivational message, and matching shorts. Last year the slogan was “Out Work, Out Hustle, Out Hit”, and in all honesty, I really didn’t like it all that much. This year’s shirts have the motto “PrACTice Like A Champion” which plays right into the mentality our coaching staff tries to instill in our young players.

The head coach and I attended a youth football coaching clinic over the winter that was put on by our local NFL team, the Cincinnati Bengals, to further develop skills to help our players. During the clinic, one particular NFL positions coach used the term I.M.P.A.C.T. as an acronym for “I Might Provide A Critical Thought, Teaching or Technique”. This message really hit home for us with not only how we communicate with our players but also how we interact with each other, referees, parents, opposing coaches and players, etc. We are dealing with 8-9 year old kids who are very impressionable so how they see their leaders (coaches) act can play a large role in their own behavior.

Over and over we remind the kids during practice and in games that win or lose, we are going to respect the game and play it the right way. Too many times you see professional and sometimes collegiate athletic teams disrespect their respective sport by cheating or playing “dirty” to try and gain a competitive edge. Heck, during some of our own peewee games we’ve had opposing players get frustrated and try to take out key players or have coaches instruct their players to take a cheap shot after a play has been whistled dead. Now, I’m as competitive of a person as there is, but I will NEVER understand this type of mindset. These are young kids, playing a GAME. At the end of the day, you put your uniform on, line up and let the game play itself out – may the best team win. For our team, this year’s motto “PrACTice Like A Champion”, we hope is going to serve more purpose than just relating to our football program but rather as a way they go about each day.

While we don’t compete in sports at EXAIR, we do put in the “Practice” behind the scenes in being “Champions” to our industry. We are constantly working on developing new products to support our customer’s ever changing needs. For example, we recently released our NEW Catalog 31 which features several new products like our VariBlast Safety Air Guns, Sanitary Flanged Line Vac Air Operated Conveyors and our NEW Gen4 Static Eliminators.

Click on the photo to order a FREE copy of our NEW Catalog 31

If you need assistance with selecting any of these new products or to “tackle” a particular application, contact one of our team members and let us put our championship mindset to work for you.

The dried flakes shown above needed a reliable method to convey between the large sacks in which they’re delivered and the boilers into which they need to be added. The existing operation has been to have personnel cut open the bags and pour them into the boilers, but this method is taxing for the workers and results in significant fatigue throughout the day as well as spillage around the boilers. This facility needed a better way to move the corn flakes that was small enough to fit within the confined workspace and capable of quickly emptying the sacks over a distance of ~6.5 ft.

The corn flakes need to be conveyed from the sacks on the right to the boilers on the left.

This customer requested that the solution be made of 316 grade stainless steel, and that implementation and use be as simple as possible. With a bulk density of ~40 pounds/cubic foot, and merely a desire to move the material as fast as possible over this short distance, I directed them toward our 3” Stainless Steel Line Vac made of 316SS. To increase the conveyance in the application I also offered our service to convert our standard model 6066-316 Line Vac to a “High Power” unit by increasing the size of the generator holes.

Both of these solutions were deemed as viable because they both allow for fast emptying of the bags (we estimated between 1-2 minutes to completely empty a bag), little-to-no spillage, and far, far less fatigue on the workers in this area (the key driver for searching out a new method of material transfer.

The potential model numbers were presented to management for a purchasing decision. As this project moves forward, and even after the solution is installed, we’ll be available for product assistance and engineering support. If you have an application in need of a viable pneumatic conveyor, contact EXAIR. We’ll be happy to explore the application and offer any potential solutions.

From pneumatic hand tools like impact wrenches or nail guns to larger scale industrial applications like stamping presses, the use of compressed air can be found in almost any industry. In fact, it is often referred to as a “fourth utility” next to water, gas and electric.

Compressed air is used in virtually every industry!

Take for example in construction, workers will use a pneumatic riveter to join steel framing because of the power generated by the tool over an electrically powered device, not to mention it provides for a safer operation by removing an electrical hazard. Many companies use compressed air operated diaphragm pumps or air motor driven pumps to move expensive or viscous liquid from one location to another. These types of pumps are self priming drawing the liquid in and provide positive displacement meaning they fill and empty the liquid chamber with the same amount of liquid through a common inlet and outlet.

Amusement parks have used compressed air in some capacity in the operation of thrill rides like roller coasters or to enhance the effect of certain attractions. Compressed air can be found in hospitals where it is used for specialized breathing treatments or to power surgical instruments in an operating room. Educational facilities use compressed air for laboratory testing. You can even find compressed air in the tires on your car. Basically, when you think about it, compressed air is being used just about anywhere.

Here at EXAIR, we manufacture Intelligent Compressed Air Products to help improve the efficiency in a wide variety of industrial operations. Whether you are looking to coat a surface with an atomized mist of liquid, conserve compressed air use and energy, cool an electrical enclosure, convey parts or dry material from one location to another or clean a conveyor belt or web, chances are we have a product that will fit your specific need.

EXAIR has been providing engineered solutions since 1983.

To discuss your particular application or for help selecting the best product, contact an application engineer at 800-903-9247 for assistance.